A documentary featuring archival 16-mm-shot footage from the iconic 1984 French Open match between John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl.

Synopsis: Written and directed by Faraut and narrated by Mathieu Amalric, JOHN MCENROE: IN THE REALM OF PERFECTION revisits the rich bounty of 16-mm-shot footage of the left-handed tennis star John McEnroe, at the time the world’s top-ranked player, as he competes in the French Open at Paris’s Roland Garros Stadium in 1984. Close-ups and slow motion sequences of McEnroe competing, as well as instances of his notorious temper tantrums, highlight a ”man who played on the edge of his senses.” Far from a traditional documentary, Faraut probes the archival film to unpack both McEnroe’s attention to the sport and the footage itself, creating a lively and immersive look at a driven athlete, a study on the sport of tennis and the human body and movement, and finally how these all intersect with cinema itself.

“Tennis great John McEnroe’s spiky temper tantrums, as well as his fearsome serve and sneaky backhand, get detailed scrutiny in this quirky cine sportif essay.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“In Julien Faraut’s elegant, witty, and thoughtful documentary, the unusual case is made that there is an ongoing conversation between tennis and cinema. Vibrant 16mm footage of John McEnroe’s 1984 French Open final illuminates a fascinating essay on the kinship between tennis and filmmaking.” – Variety